She said: “The smell was overwhelming, it was an inferno. The explosions, which were going off every few seconds, were incredibly loud.”

On Tuesday, fire crews were at the scene for a third day, having extinguished the blaze on Monday afternoon - around 24 hours after they were first called to the scene at around 4.40pm on New Year’s Eve.

More than 20 fire engines and aerial ladders were scrambled before the evening session of the Liverpool International Horse Show.

The event was cancelled, the area evacuated and roads closed as around 4,000 people fled the scene, with many describing their horror as they witnessed the “inferno”.

Pictures taken inside the building show the extent of the devastation (Image: Merseyside Fire and Rescue)